Unraveling the impact of metacognitive planning on writing performance through willingness to write in Pakistani ESL learners: a mixed-methods study

Despite the extensive focus by the Pakistani government on improving English language skills among English as a Second Language (ESL) learners, their writing performance in English remains unsatisfactory. To address this issue, this study aimed to examine the role of planning as a metacognitive strategy in writing performance, along with the indirect effect of willingness to write. The research employed a mixed-methods approach, collecting quantitative data through a survey questionnaire and a writing performance test administered to 145 students pursuing a Bachelor of Science (BS) in English at Pakistani universities, and qualitative data through semi-structured interviews with selected participants. The Partial Least Square (PLS) Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and thematic analyses were employed for quantitative and qualitative data analysis, respectively. The findings revealed that planning as a metacognitive strategy can enhance the writing performance of Pakistani ESL learners. Planning was found to promote willingness to write, subsequently contributing to increased writing performance. Willingness to write emerged as a mediating variable between planning and writing performance. The findings of the study carry practical implications for universities to enhance students' writing performance by implementing planning strategies and improving their willingness to write.